Aligning Workforce With Business Objectives

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - September 6, 2007) - In the new benchmark report, "Competency
Management: The Link Between Talent Management and Optimum Business
Results," Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks company (NYSE: HHS), found that
while 70% of all organizations surveyed focus on Employee Performance as
the key metric to impact through competency management efforts, 89% of
Best-in-Class organizations are able to increase employee performance
versus only 33% of Industry Average and none of Laggards. This report
highlights how Best-in-Class performers are using a combination of
strategies, processes and technology solutions to align the workforce with
business objectives and impact key pre- and post-hire performance metrics.

"Competency management has been around for many years, but we're seeing
significant focus on this area due, in large part, to organizations placing
a premium on measuring quantifiable output of human capital and determining
organizational 'fit' based more on behaviors. As a matter of fact, we
found that 92% of Best-in-Class organizations have competency models in
place, are in the process of defining core competencies, or are budgeted to
start within 12 months," said Kevin Martin, Research Director, Human
Capital Management at Aberdeen.

In addition to increasing employee performance, organizations that
integrate competency management are also able to reduce employee turnover
and increase revenue per employee.

The data also shows that Best-in-Class are now looking to leverage and
integrate knowledge of workforce core competencies to not only improve
pre-hire performance, but also to provide strategic insight into post-hire
elements. To this point, 55% of Best-in-Class companies have utilized
competency management to identify specific knowledge gaps that can be
resolved through learning, and an additional 43% plan to do so over the
next year.

This report examines how global enterprises are utilizing competency
management strategies to create a more flexible and agile workforce, and
improve workforce productivity. In addition to providing insight into what
Best-in-Class companies are doing, this report also offers recommended
actions that all companies can take to implement and improve competency
management efforts and achieve competitive advantage.

Aberdeen is a leading provider of fact-based research and market
intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having benchmarked more
than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is uniquely
positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating
demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment
analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets,
corporations turn to Aberdeen™ for insights that drive decisions.

As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in
context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's
analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of
Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement -
Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role
Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit
Aberdeen http://www.aberdeen.com or call (617) 723-7890, or to learn more
about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748 or go to http://www.harte-hanks.com.